What to say when your GP asks if you are a smoker

[Gary]

Just been to the docs as I have an infection, and he said

Are you

- Smoker
- Non Smoker
- Ex Smoker

I thought for a few seconds and answered ..... Ex Smoker - which felt wrong. I thought briefly about mentioning E-Cigs and decided not to.

I put down my giving up date as the date I last had an analogue (27th October).

I'm guessing some others have faced this question from their GP, I wonder what you said / would say ?

[Deleted]

I saw doc yesterday, told him I quit smoking 23rd October, told him I was on ecigs, got checked over. Apparently there is no longer any sign of wheezing in my lungs!

[OneDay]

I had the question. I said I was an ex-smoker and told him about e-cigs. He was unaware of them so I whipped out my gear and had a good old vape in his surgery

[andym]

I told my Gp that i had stopped smoking and started vaping.he was VERY interested and will be mentioning vaping to those that want to give the weed up.I also whipped out my equpiment for him to check out,most impressed with the SS LT i had.

[FirinBlanks]

Not quite the same but I mentioned I'd swapped when I was last at the Doc's with a cold that wouldn't shift. As I left she told me not to give up on the e-cigs.

[andy01424]

Jan 9, 2013 14:30:43 GMT OneDay said:

I had the question. I said I was an ex-smoker and told him about e-cigs. He was unaware of them so I whipped out my gear and had a good old vape in his surgery

that just sounds SO wrong lol

[scaffman69]

Just tell them you dont smoke cigs any more but you use nicotine replacement in the form of a e-cig, my doc was really intrested whewn i whipped mine out and shown it to her , i gave her a few websites to look at. They know the score and what e-cigs are and iff not put them right, they need to know this stuff and what its all about.

[vereybowring]

My GP didn't say a thing when I told him I used an e cig rather than smoking.
I tend to have a device in my hand and he had a quick look when I explained but he was neither positive or negative on the matter.

[lobeydosser]

I tell any medical type staff the I am no longer using cigarettes and that I am now using e-cigs.

I then give them the AAE-C business card type thing that I printed out and then, if they want any more information they can come in here and see for themselves what it is all about.

Judging by the speed that the NHS makes up its mind about anything, I fear it will be a few years yet before the NHS issues a directive on the whole subject of E-cigs and their usage and then passes this along to its staff.

[esmecullen]

I told my GP I was using a personal vaping device when he asked if I was still smoking........... he was curious so I showed him the one I carry for out and about and he said "good, I will record that you are a non-smoker".

[gillas]

that's too true my doctor didn't have a clueabout e cigs either

[ciar]

Last time i was at the docs, I actually said you can update your records to non smoker she was somewhat shocked, but i did promptly point out that NRT didn't get me off them but ecigs' she just said whatever works for you is all that matters, as long as you quit ;-)

[pixiguru]

When my doctor last asked I said I'm down to 3 a day which I was and explained about using ecig to cut down. I feel like ringing up to say please up date my record lol she didn't seem very interested but was pleased I'd cut right down

[Karma]

I don't get asked!

Apparently I've been a non smoker since I managed 8 weeks on patches a few years ago, even though I told the NHS person that followed it up with a phone call that I was back to smoking full time >

[Deleted]

Jan 9, 2013 15:21:43 GMT vereybowring said:

I tend to have a device in my hand and he had a quick look

there's a lot of whipping gear out and showing it off in this thread ... I'm off to the mod holder thread ...